Car of the Year Awards 2025: Family Car of the Year
There are several types of family car, but here we’re looking at traditional hatchbacks: large enough to be practical, yet compact enough to be easy and enjoyable to drive...
Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid Icon
If you're making precise adjustments to a vintage timepiece, a jeweller’s screwdriver is what you need, whereas a sledgehammer is just the job for knocking holes in solid walls. You should always select the right tool for the job, and for everyday family transportation, that tool is the Toyota Corolla.
Millions of people all over the globe would agree; in fact, the Corolla has been the world’s best- selling car for much of the past century, and it’s richly deserved. Toyota’s family car has never sought to be the flashiest, nor the most exciting, but – like an anvil – it fulfils its specific role brilliantly.
For one thing, in these times of forcibly tightened purse strings, the hybrid-powered Corolla stacks up very well on costs. It’s sensibly priced, especially in our favourite trim: entry-level Icon. This comes with niceties such as heated seats, yet it handily undercuts its fellow hybrid family car, the Honda Civic.
What’s more, the Corolla is even thriftier on fuel. While a more powerful 2.0-litre hybrid is available, we’d stick with the 1.8-litre version, which can easily top 50mpg in real-world use, thanks to the fact that the electric motor does much of the heavy lifting at urban speeds. And there’s still plenty of punch; performance is on a par with that of an equivalent Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, so you won’t be frustrated in everyday driving.
Nothing shouts ‘economy’ when you’re sitting inside the Corolla, though. Okay, the BMW 1 Series feels more expensive (which it is), but spending time in the Corolla reminds you of the days when tools were properly made. Everything fits together beautifully, and the materials feel like they’ll pass the test of time – like the vice on your grandfather’s workbench.
Speaking of quality, the Corolla’s smooth ride is the envy of its class, especially on the modest-sized 16in wheels that you get with Icon trim; the ride is plusher than that of the Focus and better controlled than the Peugeot 308’s. This comfort doesn’t require you to put up with sloppy handling, either. In fact, the Corolla’s precise, well-weighted steering and unflappable composure will give you plenty of confidence on twisty roads, even if it isn’t as much fun to drive as the Seat Leon.
While five other family cars ranked higher than the Corolla in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, a sixth-place result (and a 96.4% rating) in a class of 26 is still very reassuring. What’s more, you get the peace of mind of a warranty that can be stretched to a class-leading 10 years (or 100,000 miles) if you have your car serviced annually at a Toyota dealer.
And that means, like all the best tools, your Corolla can be handed down through the generations.
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